Friday 16 January 2015

10 things to do these holidays



Holidays are still going strong (but not strong enough when they're nearly over - well a couple of weeks to go). Maybe you're flagging and you need some inspiration. Wave the white flag my friend, I have ideas to get you through. I do! 

1. Penguins of MadagascarI know the audience is divided but both Matt and I loved this movie. And that's the main thing. Wink. Wink. Ok the kids loved it too - so it's a full house - adults and kids both rated it. And Benedict Cumberbatch is a voice in it. That's always a good thing. 

2. Uno wars: We lie in bed in the morning and play Uno. Endless rounds of it. And then we play it at night too. And pretty well we play it all day. And all afternoon. And just all the time. What's not to love?

3. Hide and seek in the park: We love going to a small park and playing good, old-fashioned hide and seek. Seriously it's so fun, gets the bodies moving, and the feeling of play can't be beat. Obviously I have older children, so if you've got smaller children - use your noggin and do this in a fenced space where you can keep an eye on them. But you already knew that.

4. Flip out: I'd heard so much about it, and I finally took the smalls to Flip Out this week. It's a massive warehouse space full of trampolines. I paid for an hour for each of the smalls - and they jumped until they could jump no more. But oh man, they were so, so happy. 

5. Art Gallery visit: There's a great pop art exhibition at the AGNSW at the moment. I wanted to see it, and Matt and I thought the bright colours and content would appeal to the smalls, so we met up with my sister and niece and made a day out of it. 



6. Go Gramping! We were lucky enough to go gramping recently on Cockatoo Island as guests of Aeroguard. What is gramping? Camping with grandparents! It's a great way to spend time together, and help bonds grow. We loved this experience - the kids hadn't been camping before (I know, I know!) - and there's a recent study that shows there's a growing concern about development of life skills with 42% of Aussie parents believing their children are missing out on important life lessons by not spending enough time with grandparents, this is a great fix! We explored the island, BBQ'ed for breakfast, lunch and dinner, watched the boats (and world go by) and slept side by side in tents. It was so much fun and good for the soul. 

7. Roadtrip: If you can't go on a holiday - go on a road trip. We've been exploring up at Palm Beach (HELLO HEAVENLY HAMBURGERS!),  but it doesn't have to be anywhere fancy. Drive to another suburb or a small town and go exploring! 

8. Playdates: Honestly one of the best things to do with kids is organising a play date. They're happy. You're happy. The whole world is happy. 

9. Museums: Being a tourist in your own town is a good thing to do. Check out the museums, go look at the botanic gardens, it can create awesome conversations and memorable days out with your smalls. 

10. Drawing wars: We sit at the dining table with huge sheets of paper and draw. And collaborate. And we spend long periods of time doing this together. It's fun to do after dinner too - it can last for as long or as little as you like, and requires very little drawing skill. Seriously - I am proof of this! 

Got any extra inspiration to get everyone through the holidays?

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